


'cause i've waited my whole life (for you)

by chthonicheart



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21667477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chthonicheart/pseuds/chthonicheart
Summary: The reason he loves Christmas so much doesn’t matter, in the grand scheme of things. The point is, nothing, usually, can crush his perpetual good mood during the holidays, and this year is no different. If anything, Buck’s even worse than usual. He doesn’t know why; maybe it’s the rough year he’s had, maybe it’s the lock on his emotional vulnerabilities he sacrificed along with Buck 1.0 catching up to him or both. He doesn’t know.What he does know, though, is that one of those is definitely going to be the excuse he gives when anyone asks why he’s subjecting himself to the Sleepover of Torture.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 32
Kudos: 592
Collections: 25 Days Of Buddie





	'cause i've waited my whole life (for you)

**Author's Note:**

> this fic fought me every step of the way and i'm not completely happy with it, but i hope you guys enjoy it!! let me know what you think <3 
> 
> this was written for the buddie christmas advent, for day 3, 'matching pajamas'. this obviously got away from me but i'm truly thankful it didn't end up being any longer, cause ho boy, could it have been. 
> 
> this is unbeta'd, but i've reread it a few times and run it through grammarly. 
> 
> canon compliant up through 3x09

Buck’s always loved Christmas. 

It hasn’t always been that great, or memorable, or even _enjoyable_ , but that never quite managed to dampen his spirit for it. Maddie used to tell him when he was a kid that it was Santa’s special gift for him, a part of Christmas he’d always carry with him. Now that he’s, you know, an adult with critical thinking skills, he knows she was only trying to console her baby brother, but he’d be lying if he said a small part of him hasn’t been able to let the thought go. 

The reason he loves Christmas so much doesn’t matter, in the grand scheme of things. The point is, nothing, usually, can crush his perpetual good mood during the holidays and this year is no different. If anything, Buck’s even worse than usual. He doesn’t know why; maybe it’s the rough year he’s had, maybe it’s the lock on his emotional vulnerabilities he sacrificed along with Buck 1.0 catching up to him or both. He doesn’t know. 

What he does know, though, is that one of those is definitely going to be the excuse he gives when anyone asks why he’s subjecting himself to the Sleepover of Torture. 

  
  
  
  


\------

  
  
  
  


It starts with a text. 

Plenty of things between them do, so Buck isn't too worried about it when he sees a new message from Eddie. They've been texting a lot lately, since their talk a couple of weeks ago. Buck still carries guilt around from everything that went down, which is fine. He has a sneaking suspicion it's never going to _quite_ leave him, which is also fine. Buck, after all, is certainly no stranger to living with guilt. Carrying around a little more shouldn't be a problem.

 **From: Eddie** **  
**Buck. You got a minute?

Buck swallows. This doesn't mean anything, he knows that, but the way his heart refuses to be reasoned with.

 **To: Eddie** **  
**Yeah, man. Always. Everything ok

 **From: Eddie** **  
**Everything’s fine, man. Chris and I were wondering if you were free Christmas morning

Buck reads the words once, and then again, finally allowing himself to breathe a sigh of relief. Only for his heart to immediately pick back up in rhythm as soon as Eddie’s words register. _Christmas morning_ ? With his two favorite boys? While Buck’s always carried a fondness for the holiday, he’s used to spending them alone for the most part. With Maddie married to Doug, in a place where he spent years terrified of sending a damn _card_ every few years and his estrangement from his parents, Buck’s used to be alone on the holidays. 

He isn’t used to people wanting him around.

Last year, with Chris and Eddie, and then his sister, it had all felt a little too good to be true, like maybe he had been imaging how good it was to self-soothe the truth away. This text is proof that it wasn’t a fluke, that it happened, that Buck, on some level at least, is wanted by the people around him. Wanted by _Eddie_. 

Buck clears his throat, wiping his suddenly sweaty hands on his sweatpants even though he knows no one else can see him. 

**To: Eddie**  
Whoa? Christmas morning, huh? Must not have big plans :-P 

**From: Eddie**  
Buck. No time for self-depreciation. We both would love you there if you could make it, okay?

 **To: Eddie** **  
**Jeez, you don't pull any punches. If you guys want me there then there's no place I'd rather be.

 **From: Eddie** **  
**Trust me, Buck. We want you there.

Trusting Eddie has never been a problem. Even back when Buck was too focused on challenging him, he only threw himself so hard into it for that very reason. Eddie was new, hot enough to leave scorch marks on the skin he's touched, and Buck knew from the moment he looked at him that he was something _else._ Other. 

Buck wouldn't have bothered vying for his attention in the first place if he hadn't been. 

**To: Eddie**  
I do, I promise

 _I just can’t believe I’m allowed this,_ he types out, tongue caught between his teeth in both concentration and nerves. 

Buck doesn’t end up sending that one, instead, erasing it entirely with shaking fingers to type out, 

**To: Eddie** **  
**Any particular time I should be there?

 **From: Eddie**  
Whenever. Chris will get me up before the sun even rises, knowing him. 

**To: Eddie**  
No such thing as sleeping in on Christmas, huh? 

**From: Eddie**  
That’s blasphemous in this house. 

Buck snorts a laugh. 

**To: Eddie**  
Can't wait. I'll be sure to bring some coffee, just for you. 

**From: Eddie**  
Hell, come every morning if that's the treatment I'm going to get. 

_God_ , Buck laments. If only Eddie means that the way he wants him to. 

Buck, of course, would never be that fortunate. 

**To:** **Eddie**  
Keep inviting me over on Christmas and maybe I will.

 **From: Eddie**  
Deal.  
  


\-------

  
  
  
  
  
  


It's three days until Christmas and Buck still hadn't gotten the whole present situation figured out. It's not _his_ fault, not really. Work has been unpredictable, grueling, and more than a little trying. Buck hasn't felt this exhausted since his training with the Seals, and in all honesty, this might just top it.

Which is why Buck is at the Grove with Maddie, desperately trying to find something worthy enough for his best friend and said best friend's son.

One would _think_ it would be easy.

"I'm usually good at this," Buck complains, voice just barely missing a whine. "Why is this so difficult this year?"

He can hear Maddie roll her eyes at him. "You're thinking too much about this, baby brother. They're going to love whatever you get them. No one knows those two more than you."

Buck doesn't allow himself to flush at that, though it's close. 

"If _only_. Last year was so much easier."

"Yeah? Is that because you finally realized how you feel about Eddie or is there something you're not telling me?"

Buck absolutely _does_ flush this time. "Look, Mads. Give me some more credit. I'm not that oblivious. I'm actually thinking about taking the leap, maybe. After the holidays."

Maddie stops outside of an obnoxiously lit up store (that admittedly makes his heart dance just looking at it) to stare at him and the look on her face says it all. 

"Really? Buck, I'm _so_ proud of you," Maddie says, a hand falling on Buck's bicep to pull him into a hug. 

Buck laughs, returning the gesture easily. It's not like he'd ever deny a hug from his favorite sister, anyway. "Don't say that yet. I've been telling myself this for months. And then everything that happened went down. It might just be too late for us."

"Maybe," Maddie agrees. "But also, maybe it isn't. You won't know until you put yourself out there, and you've never had a problem with that before Eddie, according to what Chimney tells me."

"Meaningless hookups are easy, Maddie. There are people on the other side of my feelings for Eddie that might get hurt depending on the way things go." 

"Neither Eddie or Christopher are going to let anything come between you, you know that."

"I'm just not sure if that's true anymore."

"If it wasn't then he wouldn't still be here, inviting you over on Christmas morning," Maddie points out, and he knows she's right.

Buck bites his lip to stop himself from agreeing with her outright; that would only do more damage than good to his heart at this point. His outright denial of the possibility is one of the only things that keeps him in once piece, it feels like.

“Still,” Buck says, haltingly. “That’s something you can lecture me about later. I still have no idea what to get. For either of them.” 

“Stop overthinking,” Maddie says. “You know what they like. You’ll figure it out.” 

“Yeah, sorry, I don’t think that’s how it works. They need to be perfect, Maddie. It’s Christmas morning, they've got to be on par with Santa's gifts or even better.” 

Maddie rolls her eyes again instead of answering, twisting her fist gently in his shirt to pull him along towards the next store. 

Buck, of course, follows.

If anyone is better at finding gifts for the people they care about than Buck, it's Maddie, and he trusts her to find something that's not awful, at least. 

\------

  
  
  
  
  
  


Buck wakes up to another text message from Eddie. 

It’s _finally_ the day before Christmas Eve, which means after his twenty-four-hour shift today, he only has to get through that night back at his apartment and then it’s Diaz family time. Though he’s been dreading it as much as looking forward to it, the closer it gets the more the dread lessens. Buck wants to be there, more than anything, even if that means exposing himself to who-knows-how-long of tiptoeing around his feelings for his best friend in a more intimate setting. Sure, they work together, but work is _work_. Buck doesn’t know how to explain how sitting with his best friend (who he is in love with) and his best friend’s son (who he also adores) on Christmas morning is way more intimate than sleeping in the same room as Eddie in between calls at the station.

It simply just is. 

Buck’s heart rate picks up once again when he sees exactly who sent the text. 

**From: Eddie**  
So… bit of a problem with Christmas morning. 

Buck inhales sharply through his nose. He knew, somewhere, on whatever notch inside him, that this was coming. 

**To: Eddie**  
Is everything okay? 

**From: Eddie**  
I don’t know. 

**From: Eddie**  
Someone seems to think that Christmas morning isn’t good enough and wants you to sleep over after our shift today. 

The breath returns to Buck’s lungs so fast he’s knocked completely breathless by it, frozen with his phone dangling in his grip that is steadily only becoming slacker. He swallows around the sudden ease in his throat, allowing himself to smile at his phone. He hopes he looks as lovesick as he feels, if only because this is one of the only times he can actually show it. 

**To: Eddie** **  
**A Christmas Sleepover???

 **From: Eddie**  
We insist. 

_We insist_. 

Eddie really is going to be the death of him. 

**To: Eddie**  
Count me in. I'd love to.   
  
**From:** Eddie  
Chris is yelling in excitement, just in case you can't hear it from your apartment.

Buck grins. 

He wishes he could. He wishes he could join him.

\------

  
  
  
  
  
  


Their shift, thankfully, passes by fast, which means it feels like hardly any time at all has passed since he arrived in the morning. Eddie has been a constant presence at his side, working seamlessly in sync. It’s nice to be back in the groove of things after so long left in limbo. Buck would be lying if he said he never thought they’d get back here. It simply just didn’t seem possible. 

Eddie claps his shoulder as they exit the locker room, changed back into their civvies. Buck smiles at him, leaning into the touch though it doesn’t linger nearly as long as he wishes it would. 

“You can come over whenever, tonight,” Eddie says. “Though the sooner the better, it was hard enough to get Christopher to talk about anything else this morning.” 

Buck’s smile grows into a grin, one that probably takes over his face in a dopey way, though he can’t bring himself to care all that much. 

“I’ll be right behind you,” Buck says. The presents he got them are hidden in the back of his jeep, along with his overnight bag. “If that’s soon enough for Christopher.” 

Eddie laughs. “I’d say it is. Let’s go, then. He’s bummed enough we missed part of Christmas Eve.” 

“Don’t gotta tell me twice, man. Let’s go. I can’t wait to see the little man,” Buck says around another smile. They wave goodbye to the rest of the team, who are still on for a few hours. Hen’s watching them with a small, knowing smile, eyes bright, which is still enough of a rarity since her accident that Buck feels warm already. He blows her a kiss, sending a salute to both Chimeny and Bobby, and follows Eddie out the garage. 

This is going to be a good Christmas. Now he’s sure of it. 

_He’ll_ make sure of it. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


\------

  
  
  
  
  
  


Christopher starts squealing as soon as Buck walls through the door. 

Buck grins at him, crouching down to open his arms for Christopher, wrapping his arms around the kid's small frame in a hug. Buck ruffles his hair as they pull away. "You that excited to see me, buddy?"

Christopher nods, grinning widely. "Yes!"

Buck laughs. He can hear Eddie chuckling in amusement behind him, which only makes everything about this that much better and hurt that much more. If only this could be what he came home to every night, Buck doesn't think he'd ever be so lucky to be granted this, but watching from afar is still nice, at least. 

“Oh? We’ve been hanging out a lot lately,” Buck points out, though he knows it’s pointless to pretend he doesn’t feel the same as Christopher. It’s written all over his face, in the crow’s feet teasing the edges of his eyes, the soft, subtle way his mouth pulls up at the kid. Buck knows he’s not very subtle. He’s glad that Eddie is comfortable with Buck spilling his feelings everywhere like this. 

Who knows where they’d be if he weren’t. 

“I wish you never had to leave, Buck,” Christopher says, earnest in the way only a young kid can be. “I’m glad you’re spending Christmas with us this year.” 

Buck grins; he’s helpless but to pull the kid into another hug, holding onto him until he squeals again and starts wiggling in his arms in a playful attempt to get away. Buck relents, if only because his heart is about to literally burst right out of his chest, and sends Christopher to go play with his toys gathered on the coffee table. 

“Hey man,” Buck finally greets. “Thanks for inviting me over like this. You didn’t have to.” 

Eddie waves him off with a fond eye roll. Buck doesn’t know how he knows it’s fond, but he does. Things don’t need to be spoken between them; they never have. 

“We wouldn’t want you anywhere else.” 

Buck ducks his head so his best friend doesn’t have to look at how much of a loser Buck really is, though he’s still smiling when he manages to meet Eddie’s eyes again. “Me either, man.” 

“Good,” Eddie says. “Now, I promised Chris we would make some cookies. Are you up for the challenge? He’s _very_ particular about there being both snowmen and reindeer ones.” 

Buck smirks. “Please, Eddie. I’m the cookie master.” 

“We’ll see about that.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


\------

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The cookies are in the oven ( _finally_ ), and flour and sugar cover Eddie’s counter pretty much anywhere there’s a spare space. Christopher, somehow, even has some sprinkled in his hair, which is adorable and Buck doesn’t feel bad about taking pictures of it all. Buck and Eddie aren’t completely spared, either. Buck’s going to need to take a shower to get the flour off his neck from where Eddie threw some at him before the ‘Great-Cookie-Mix-Fight-of-2019’ had officially broken out, but it’s worth it for the way he can hear Eddie and his son giggling down the hall. 

Buck runs a shaking hand through his hair, trying not to pull on his hair like he really wants to. Tonight has been wonderful, and he’s sure tomorrow morning will be even better, but being here is far harder than he thought it would be. Buck has never felt such sharp, poignant longing like this before. It’s all the worse that he has no reason to feel like this. He only just got back in his best friend’s good graces, the absolute last thing he wants to do is complicate things even further. 

Or worse, have it push his Diaz boys away from him again. 

“Chris just told me this is the best Christmas Eve he’s had in a long time,” Eddie says as he makes his way into the kitchen. 

Buck flushes. “I guess I’m just that powerful,” he teases. 

“Uh-huh,” Eddie quips, and for some reason his eyes are soft. “Don’t let it get to your head, Buck.” 

“Too late for that. Christopher just confirmed I’m the best ever, basically.” 

“I don’t know about _ever_ , but yeah, I think I’d agree with him there,” Eddie says. 

Buck’s heart slams uncomfortably into his chest. What does _that_ mean? Does he even want to know? 

“It’s good for me, too, you know? I usually do nothing on Christmas,” Buck says. He makes a face. “Well, nothing that matters, at least. Last year was the first year I’ve done anything for years.” 

“Family not big on Christmas, I take it?” 

Buck snorts a laugh that might just be a tad bitter. “Something like that,” Buck says. “Doesn’t matter now, though. I’m happy to be here with you guys.” 

Eddie claps his shoulder as he did hours ago, but this time he lets his touch linger. His thumb slides along the collar of the henley Buck changed into after their shift, the skin-to-skin contact lighting a blazing path up the column of his throat. Buck swallows, rough enough he can feel the drag of his adam’s apple. 

“You’ll always have a place here, Buck. Especially on Christmas.” 

Buck shakes his head, though he’s no longer able to stop himself from leaning into the man’s touch. 

“Not sure your future wife would appreciate your best friend hanging around all of the time,” Buck says. 

Eddie’s face contorts into surprise, eyes wide and vulnerable as Buck’s words sink in. Buck knows the man still feels Shannon’s loss as if it were the day it happened and is probably not in the position to move on quite yet. Buck feels guilty for almost being _grateful_ for that. Eddie is an attractive guy; it won’t take long for him to catch the right woman’s attention. If he hasn’t already. 

With a face like that, who knew how many women were pining in his wake? Probably all of LA, at this point. 

Buck’s brought out of his thoughts by the sound of his best friend’s laughter. He looks over and is treated to the sight of Eddie openly laughing at him. He can’t even be offended; he hopes Eddie’s smile never stops doing his stomach up in a twist. He never wants to stop feeling like this, even if this is all he can get. 

“A wife, huh?” Eddie asks. “That’s who you see me settling down with?” 

Buck raises an eyebrow. This certainly isn’t the conversation Buck expected to find himself in on Christmas Eve, but he’s far too curious now to let the conversation move onto something more appropriate. 

“Who else?” 

Eddie takes a step towards him. It puts them close enough that he can feel the fabric of Eddie’s shirt make contact with his own. It takes every ounce of fight in him not to back away into the counter, but not because he doesn’t want Eddie this close; it’s even harder not to pull him closer.

Eddie’s eyes travel down to Buck’s lips, flicking back up just as quick to meet Buck’s eyes again.

“Who says I’m going to settle down with a woman?” Eddie asks. 

Buck swallows. “Fine, your future husband, then,” Buck says, voice far more strangled than it had been a few moments before. Knowing his best friend had an interest in men is _definitely_ going to be carefully thought about later, but it's not something he can risk thinking about now. Not if he wants to keep his attraction and dignity firmly in place. 

The fact that Buck's, also, into men, makes it even more difficult not to consider further.

“Hm,” is all Eddie says, humming softly as he does. He’s about to say something else, but Christopher is calling him down the hall before he can. 

The moment breaks. Buck doesn't know if the sigh he breathes is in relief or disappointment, but it feels heavy in his mouth all the same. 

  
  
  
  
  


\------

  
  
  
  
  
  


After they’ve all showered, Buck expects Eddie to lead Chris to bed in preparation for their early morning tomorrow. Buck is wide awake, will probably remain wide awake for most of the night, but that’s okay. He expected as much; that’s the way their sleepovers have operated here lately. If Eddie has caught on, he hasn’t said anything to Buck about it, which is even better. 

The last thing he wants to do is talk about it. 

Instead, though, Eddie waves them both into the living room. The Christmas tree is a huge artificial one that has obviously been in Eddie’s family for a while, but that only adds to its charm. It’s homey and comforting in a way that Buck’s parents could never replicate back home. There are presents piled high underneath it, all of varying sizes but most are wrapped nicely. Chris helped with a few of them, and Buck’s heart croons a song of longing so thick he feels a little dizzy. 

“So, we have a bit of a tradition on Christmas Eve.” Eddie starts. 

Christopher obviously knows what’s about to happen, as he helpfully sits on the couch, holding his arms out impatiently. “It’s present time, Buck!” 

“Just one, kiddo. Remember? We’ll open the rest tomorrow,” Eddie tells him.

“I know, dad,” Christopher replies, giggling a little. 

Buck’s taking out his phone again on instinct, not thinking through even slightly. He’s been taking it out more and more lately, to snap photos of Eddie and Christopher or the rare selfie of the three of them. Those were his favorites; one was even his phone wallpaper (and screensaver, too) and he cherished every last one of them. He doesn’t know why he has a sudden need to document their time together, but he _does_ , and he is hopeless at stopping himself. 

Buck looks up from his phone after he’s snapped a (un)reasonable amount of photos to find Eddie already watching him with a look he’s never seen before. Or at least, he’s never seen it directed at anyone other than Chris, before now. Eddie looks fond, and Buck is, once again, finding himself grateful for having him in his life. For being allowed to be in his life. 

“Can you send me the good ones?” asks Eddie. The words are barely out of his mouth when his phone Eddie’s text tone goes off three times in quick succession. 

“Already did.” 

Eddie grins at him in thanks, shoving his phone in his pocket. He walks over to the tree, grabbing three perfectly-wrapped presents, one slightly smaller than the others. He passes the smaller one to Christopher, giving Buck one of the bigger ones while keeping the other. He sits down on one side of Christopher, motioning for Buck to sit on the other. 

He does. 

“You didn’t have to get me anything, man,” Buck says, throat tight from the thought of Eddie actually giving him anything. Even though the presents from Buck are already under Eddie’s tree, he never expected the return from his best friend. 

He’s touched, more than anything. 

“Just like you didn’t have to get Chris and me anything either,” Eddie points out. 

Buck laughs. “Okay, that’s fair,” he says. 

“That’s right,” Eddie says, smirking slightly. “We should open them at the same time since they go together.” 

Christopher cheers, one of his hands going to the top of the present. Eddie reaches out to help him tear the opening on the tape, so Buck does the same on the other side. It feels as painfully domestic as anything the three of them do together these days, but it’s Christmas Eve, so it sticks out a little more than usual. 

Once they help Chris unwrap it completely, they work on their own presents, letting the wrapping fall to the living room floor in lieu of actually opening the gifts. Buck can’t see what it is through the tissue paper once he gets his box open, but he’ll hasten to guess it’s an article of clothing of some sort. 

“The suspense is killing me,” Buck jokes, though it’s definitely still true. 

“Let’s open them!” Christopher cheers. 

“Okay, okay,” Eddie chuckles. They all tear into the tissue at the same time, and Buck immediately feels restriction at the base of his throat as soon as he sees what it is. 

Inside is a fleece dark blue polar bear and Christmas tree patterned pajama set. Buck’s never had a set of holiday pajamas he didn’t piece together himself from mismatched pieces acquired over the years, but that still doesn’t account for the way his eyes are tearing up. When he runs his fingers over the front of them, the material underneath his touch is soft and clearly well-made. 

He looks up when he remembers that he’s not alone, curiosity over what Christopher and Eddie got winning out over his need to appreciate his present more. 

He has no control over the noise he makes when he sees the matching sets on Eddie and Christopher’s laps. 

“I -- _what?_ ” 

Eddie gently places all of their pajamas on the coffee table, before pushing off of the couch to kneel in front of Buck. His hands slide to Buck’s knees, touch comforting; grounding, it’s the only thing that causes Buck not to bolt. 

“Buck,” Eddie whispers. “You told me earlier than you were going to step aside when someone else came along.” 

Buck closes his eyes, for just a moment. “Yeah.” 

“I was never planning to find someone else,” Eddie tells him. “There’s no way there could be someone else. Not when I have you.” 

“Eddie…” Buck trails off. 

“We love you,” Eddie continues as if Buck had never interrupted. “I love you. I can’t hide that from you anymore.”

Buck feels, instantaneously, as if he’s floating. “So you got us all matching pajamas?” 

Eddie laughs, hands squeezing Buck’s legs gently. 

“Go big or go home, yeah? That’s what you’re always telling me. So, I thought I would.” 

“That’s a bit of an understatement,” says Buck. 

“Maybe,” Eddie says. “There’s no obligation or expectation here, Buck. I wasn’t sure about how you’d react to them until you actually got here, and then I knew that I couldn’t pretend any longer.” 

Buck, unable to stand it any longer, lets one of his hands cradle the sharp edge of Eddie’s jaw, thumbing over the five o’clock shadow and the delicious scratch of stubble over the ridge of it. 

“If you don’t kiss me within the next thirty seconds I might just yell a bit,” Buck tells him, voice choked and packed with so much he’s not even sure he can identify everything that fills it. 

Christopher giggles. Buck had honestly forgotten he was there, which he’s sure he’ll feel horrible about once the Eddie-shaped fog that’s suddenly clouding his… well, _everything dissipates_. 

“Kiss him, dad!” 

Buck flushes, catching the blur of Eddie’s amusement before his eyes close on instinct, ‘cause, oh, yes, that’s Eddie’s lips pressing against his. Buck melts back into the couch, leaning forward to the edge of the couch to get as close to Eddie as he possibly can. Neither of them attempts to deepen the kiss and Buck is thankful for it, especially with Christopher sitting next to them. 

They’ll have plenty of time for that later. 

Hopefully. 

Eddie’s lips are soft, and they’re still soft when Buck leans in to kiss him all over again when Eddie pulls away. 

“Wow,” whispers Buck, tenderly. His hand is still on Eddie’s cheek, but he makes no move to change that. 

“We waited way too long to do that,” Eddie says. 

“Maybe we’ll just have to make up for lost time,” Buck suggests, wiggling his eyebrows a little. 

Eddie rolls his eyes. “That’s a given.” 

“I told you he’d say yes, daddy,” Christopher says. “Can we put on our pajamas now? Then we can match like a family!” 

A _family_. 

That’s what they are, what they’ve been for months, what Maddie was trying to tell him when they were out shopping for the presents; everything Buck was scared of back then was negated by the fact that they’ve _always_ been one. 

“I agree with Chris,” Buck says. “Matching pajamas makes everything better, don’t you agree buddy?” 

“Yeah!” Christopher exclaims. 

Eddie leans in to press another kiss to the corner of Buck’s mouth. “Let’s get changed, then we can watch a Christmas movie before bed.” 

They both knew Christopher would be asleep minutes into the movie, but that doesn’t stop them from wanting to do it, nor does it stop Buck from reaching out to grab Eddie’s hand. 

“I love you, too,” Buck says. “I love you and Chris so much, Eddie. Thank you. Thank you for choosing me.” 

**Author's Note:**

> i wonder what buck got eddie and chris ;) who knows.,.,,. not me ;)
> 
> thank you for reading tho!! i am sorry it's not my strongest work, life has been a big ol OOF lately! did help cheer me up a bit though, so that's good ;w; 
> 
> HOWEVER in other news i am close to completing.... two or three other fics and the next chapter to stuck on your heartbeat will be posted in a few days!! thank you guys for your patience <3 i appreciate it beyond words!
> 
> feel free to follow/shout with/prompt me on my tumblr @[buckleyeddie](https://buckleyeddie.tumblr.com/)


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